"I ran out of the tent," Ijjangiaq​ told CBC News, in Inuktitut. "I fired my rifle in the air to scare the bear away."

He said the mother bear bit into Uttak's head. It then chased down Kaunak, who was running away, and mauled him.

Ijjangiaq said he shot the bear with his rifle, but it jammed. He got another rifle, shot the animal again and killed it. The cub was shot as well.

The two men attempted first aid on Kaunak, but he was dead. Ijjangiaq said they covered his remains in a tarp.

Leo Ijjangiaq says he and the other surviving hunter attempted first aid on their friend, but he was lifeless. Ijjangiaq said they covered his remains in a tarp. (Submitted by Leo Ijjangiaq)

More bears

Ijjangiaq​ said, in the following days, as the hunters huddled with the body of their friend, waiting to be rescued, several other bears circled their camp.

"More bears approached us," said Ijjangiaq, who said he shot and killed them. "I told my friend that I will take all criminal responsibility for every bear that we kill."

This is an emotional, like a visceral kind of thing.- Robert Hedley , Naujaat administrator

The men sheltered in the cab of their boat until they were rescued Tuesday, after they were spotted by a search helicopter from the icebreaker CCGS Louis St-Laurent.

Ijjangiaq​ said he and Uttak heard the aircraft and ran out to signal with fire and smoke. The survivors refused to leave Kaunak's remains behind, and it took three men to carry the body into the helicopter, he said.

Ijjangiaq and Uttak suffered minor injuries and were treated for minor injuries.

'Very scary situation'

It was the second fatal polar bear attack in Nunavut this summer.

Naujaat administrator Robert Hedley told CBC on Wednesday that much of the community is grieving, and it will take time for leaders to come up with solutions to make sure attacks like this can be avoided in the future.